The Son of Zed
by Ronald del Reagan
Summary: A story about Zed's son and his duty of taking over the Order of Shadows. Will he grow strong like his father or will he fall to weakness and temptation? Rated T for mild language and violence.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: The Darkness Rising

It was a cool day in Ionia that morning. Vali walked through the forest, milling over what to do for the rest of the day. Being the son of Zed, the strongest of all warriors, he was not exactly as you would expect. Vali did not inherit many traits from his father. He was an average height for being 15 with a moderate build. He had pale skin and dark hair, but not black like his father's. The most noticeable difference though, was his eyes. Zed was known for having bright, soulless red eyes. Vali on the other hand had light blue eyes, almost like frost. They still seemed to pierce right though you, but didn't have the same wickedness about it.

Zed was 40 years old. After a few years in the league at the age of 25, he resigned to lead his army. He married a woman from a local village named Azabel. She bore a son. However, Zed never really had time for him. Leading the Order of Shadows was a busying task. Vali had his mother's looks for the most part, and her personality. He was an easy going person, who went with the flow. He was concerned for his father. Not only did he rarely see him, he assumed he was under an enormous amount of stress. Zed was not the young and quick assassin anymore. He was growing weaker every day, and when he died, Vali would have to take the throne and lead his army. Even at 40, he was still a formidable warrior, and rightfully led the order. His bones had weakened from the years of constant fighting with the locals, Ionian Guard, and the Kinkou, though. Vali had heard little about his father's past.

From what he did know, it was a dark one. Zed was part of the Kinkou as a young boy, and had fallen in love with a fellow ninja, Akali. But no matter how hard he trained or fought to impress her, his advisory Shen, always seemed to do better than him. Akali thought of Zed as a friend, and nothing more. She did however, love Shen. Day after day, this tore Zed's heart apart. One day there was a festival in the middle of the Ionian square. It was the celebrating the day the kinkou was formed to protect Ionia from her foes. During this festival, a special dance occurred, where lovers would grasp hands and perform a dance that symbolized their relationship together. It basically was when a man asked a woman for marriage. Zed had been alone the whole night, watching others celebrate and have fun. He was not interested in such things. As the special dance started, and men were asking women to dance with them, Zed made up his mind. He began walking towards Akali. He did not care about Shen, all he could think amount was the feelings he had for her. Zed was 5 steps away, his heart pounding, when suddenly Shen grabbed Akali by the waist and looked deeply into her eyes. He asked her if she would join him in this dance that showed the connection between a man and a woman. Her eyes opened wide, as she exclaimed yes. They danced the night away in a loving embrace. Zed watched the whole thing unfold in front of him, stunned. The love in his heart turned to pain and hatred. He thought 'This order is full of fools! They believe in perfect balance. They believe that they can protect Ionia from the most powerful enemies. So pitiful'.

He turned from the festivities and headed straight to the temple. His bright red eyes had rage in them. He entered the temple, knowing exactly where to go. He walked up to a door that he had never entered before. He was warned of this room. In this roomed contain the power of shadows. They corrupt anyone who touches them and makes them a power hungry murderer. The door had a lock around its handle. Zed struck at it with is his sword, cutting the lock in half. He opened the door and entered the room. Inside it was nothing but a small table with a box on top of it. He began walking towards it when a voice from behind spoke to him. "Zed, tread lightly, you do not know what you are about to do." Shen's father spoke, the master of the temple. Zed replied "You know not of my life, of the pain I have endured. I NEED THIS." He opened the box and the shadows entered his mind. He turned around, consumed with rage and power. He cut the master's head off and brought it to the still ongoing festival. He walked up to Shen and Akali, getting gasps from many people in the crowd. He tossed the decapitated head on the ground in front of the couple. Shen fell to his knees, screaming. "YOU WILL PAY FOR THIS, ZED. I WILL AVENGE MY FATHER WHEN I DRIVE MY BLADE THROUGH YOUR HEART." Zed replied "Hahaha. You and your order have made me heartless. My mind is at one with shadows, and I will kill you and the entire Kinkou one day." Those were his last words as he left everyone in the crowd stunned. The rest is history they say.

**EDIT: Hey guys! Glad you read my story and I hope you liked it! Please leave a review as they help me become a better writer and I would love to see what you guys thought about it. The next chapter should be coming out in the next day or so, so stay tuned!**


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: A Spark Ignites

Vali never saw anyone from the village because Zed had confined him to the temple. For some reason, he did not want people to know he had a son. His mother did not have a say in this, for whatever Zed said was law. His father would allow him to roam the grounds, just as he was doing that morning, but told him if he went to the village the punishment would be severe. Vali looked at a gate that was guarded by two of Zed's disciples. Beyond this gate was a small path that led to the village. Vali felt like taking a risk for a change. He began walking to the gate. When passing through it one of the guards raised an eyebrow. "Going somewhere?" he said. Vali responded "I'm just going to enjoy some fresh air out in the forest." He gestured with his hand to the vast forest beyond the gate.

As Vali walked down the path, he took in all of his surroundings. It was actually quite beautiful here. There was no sign of civilization. It was nature in its purest form. He relished it and actually spent half an hour meditating in total silence on top of a tree. After a few miles or so he came upon the largest village in all of Ionia. It was named "Amor". He was stunned from what he saw in front of him. This city was huge. He did not expect the massive amount of buildings, ports, and people he saw. He took a gulp and began walking the final stretch towards the city's entrance.

The entrance was guarded by the Ionian guard. They were a group of skilled fighters that serve and protect Ionia's cities. As Vali came closer to them he got nervous. Zed was a wanted criminal. They would execute him if they had the chance, although Zed hadn't really launched an attack in the last year or so. His army was still large and skilled, but he had decided to bide his time before taking all of Ionia. That was his main goal, of course, along with killing Shen, Akali, and the Kinkou. Vali tried walking into the city without speaking to a guard, but one stopped him. "Who are you and what reason do you have to be entering Amor?" the guard said suspiciously. "My name is Vali, and I am here to visit an old friend of mine." Vali said confidently. The guard seemed to accept this and let him through.

Vali was amazed by the amount of people he was before him. The streets were very crowded, and he wanted to get out of the tight space, so he looked for a place to climb onto the roofs of one of the buildings. He finally found an arrangement of plants and vines extending upwards. He grasped them with his hands and pulled himself up. After a few seconds, he was on the roof of a building. He began striding to the roof of the next building, and the one after that. He continued this until he was basically sprinting across the rooftops. These roofs were very close so he was only jumping 4 or 5 feet when leaping to the next roof. There was an open square towards the outskirts of town. He jumped down from the roof, and explored this oddly empty place. He began walking down an alley when he saw a beautiful girl in front of him. They were about 5 feet away, staring into each other's eyes. Vali couldn't speak. He was stunned by this girl, and had butterflies in his stomach. She spoke first "Hi stranger, my name is Sekuna, what's yours?" Vali stammered "M m m my name..?" He regained his composure and spoke with dignity and confidence "Ah yes, my name is Vali. I am new around here. Would you care to show me around?" Before she could answer, a black mass formed in front of Vali, and his father stepped out. He grabbed Vali and shadow stepped to the temple. Vali was terrified. He thought Zed was going to kill him. "Why have you disobeyed me, son?" he asked. "Father, I only wanted to venture out beyond our temple." Vali replied. Zed sighed, a heavy sigh. He then said "Very well. We start training tomorrow."

**EDIT: Hey guys! Sorry about being a day late. School and stuff gets in the way. I know this chapter was somewhat boring and I apologize for that, but in order for the story to get to the awesome, action packed parts, we have to explain all the boring stuff. Fear not, next chapter will be very action packed. You should expect it by Saturday or Sunday. Stay tuned and have a good day!**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Awakening

After his father had told him of the training, Vali ate and went to bed. He was awoken by his father walking into his room in the morning. His eyes opened wearily "What time is it?" he yawned. "Four." Zed said bluntly. "Come, it is time to embrace the shadows." Vali got out of bed and dressed himself. He wore black pants going down to his ankles and a plain grey shirt. Zed, dressed in his full armor, escorted him out of the temple. This time when they exited the grounds, the guards said nothing. Zed lead Vali deep into the forest. It took them thirty minutes to reach their destination. There was a clearing in the forest and they came upon a long skinny stretch of land with no trees. The trees circled around this area, so it almost made an arena. Zed stood at one end and commanded Vali to stand at the other. He took of all his armor and set it on the ground next to him. "Now, we begin." Zed said.

Zed charged Vali and began striking at him with open palms. He did his best to deflect these attacks, but his father was too strong and experienced for a rookie like him. Each blow hurting more than the last. He was struck in his midsection and had the wind knocked out of him. He fell to his knees. "Always protect your most vulnerable spots." Zed said. Vali got up. He began striking at his father, going on the offensive. Zed blocked all the attacks with ease, as if he wasn't even trying. Vali was getting annoyed. His father brought him all the way out here just to beat the crap out of him? "Hnnngg!" Vali screeched as he brought both fist cupped together down towards Zed's head. Zed picked up his right arm and blocked the attack, while kicking Vali's legs and knocking him off his feet. Vali hit the ground, hard. He ripped off his shirt, and turned on his stomach. He put both of his palms on the ground and began pushing himself up. Zed turned his palm to a fist and hit him with an uppercut straight to the jaw. Vali flipped up from the ground and landed on his back. His vision was dull, and his ears were ringing. "Just because you are down, your opponent will not show mercy. Never forget that." Zed murmured. Vali could feel the blood on his lips. He licked them, and again turned to his stomach. He began pushing himself up when Zed went for a punch straight in the back of his head. But Vali had wanted that. When Zed extended his arm Vali turned around with lightning fast reflexes and grabbed it. He used Zed's momentum to pull Zed down and himself up at the same time. He stood on his feet while Zed hit the ground. Zed was making a weird noise, one that he seldom ever made. Was that… laughing? "You are your father's son, after all." Zed told Vali. "That's enough fighting for today take a ten minute break and be back here for our next part in training." Vali nodded and walked off into the forest.

He soon found that there was a natural spring about fifty meters from the training grounds. There was a large pool of fresh water in the middle of it. A small stream was pouring water into it. The water was surrounded by rocks, so it made a bowl shape. Vali walked up to the edge of the rocks, took his shoes off, and dipped his feet in the water. It was pleasantly warm, and felt great. He relaxed and laid on his back. His eyes closed and he began daydreaming. The image of the pretty girl he saw in Amor yesterday flashed through his head. Who was she? He suddenly needed to know. If it hadn't been the fear of what his father would have done he would've gone down to Amor right then. Still, it was about five in the morning and the sun was just peaking over the horizon. None of the Ionian city folk would be up right now. He realized it had been about ten minutes and pulled his feet out of the water and put his shoes on. He walked to the training grounds. Zed was waiting for him, still without his armor. Vali observed him as he ate an apple he seemingly got from nowhere. He was a tall man with a decent build. He had long black hair that was in his eyes due to sweat. He had a defined jaw with a little stuble from not shaving over the last few days. His most notable quality though was still his eyes. Even when he seemed to be doing ordinary things they seemed angry. They cut right through you and peered into your soul. Vali turned his head away as Zed finished eating. "Now we run." Zed said as he took off into the forest. Vali followed trying to catch up. He had to use every ounce of his strength to catch up to Zed who seemed to be running effortlessly. After about fifteen minutes or so, Vali felt numb. His legs were weak, his lungs stiffened with pain. He still hurt from the beating he took earlier. The running continued for an hour. When Zed finally stopped, Vali collapsed to the ground. He could not feel anything. His head was spinning and he felt like he was dying from thirst. He turned his head to see Zed leaning against a tree nonchalantly. He looked like the running was no big deal. Vali got to his hands and knees and crawled to a river flowing about ten meters from him. He had no idea where they were. They must have run six or seven miles, and they were already deep in the forest. He got to the river and plunged his head under.

He was welcomed with refreshingly cold water. It felt amazing against his hot skin. He slurped up as much of it as he could. Zed allowed him to do this for about five minutes, then said "Break is over, now come with me, it's time for you to learn some hand to hand skills." Vali, having gathered some of his strength, got up obediently and followed him. They went up to a large tree. Zed showed Vali the positioning of his arm for a certain punch. "This is the standard way to punch a target, but the punch is only as strong as you can make it." He told his son "Use these muscles to lunge your arm forward and these when you collide with your target." He pointed to muscles while explaining. "If done correctly, it should look something like this." He pulled his arm back and brung it forward, his fist hitting the tree. His arm went straight through the tree, creating a large whole in the middle of it. Vali's eyes opened in shock. His father had just punched through a 3 foot wide tree. Zed went over the punch again along with kicks, jabs, stabs, and knees. After about an hour or two of teaching, Zed announced they were done and shadow stepped with Vali all the way to the temple. In the League, they have to tone down certain abilities champions have to make it more even among the battlefield. In the rift Zed could only teleport a short distance, but his true power allowed him to go very long distances.

Vali walked to his bathing area. He stripped off his clothes only to reveal his broken and bruised body. He fell into the bath water and embraced its warmth. He was exhausted and it was only nine in the morning. This training continued for several weeks. Each day, Vali grew stronger, faster, and quicker. He still could not fight Zed, but he got better every time. He knew Zed was holding back, but he didn't exactly have any problems with that. He soon realized how strong he truly was. This training was harder than any other he had seen around the temple. He was becoming a great fighter. He probably would have lost his mind while going through all the pain during it, but the thought of the beautiful girl in Amor kept his mind at peace. One day after training he decided to ask Zed a question. "Father, why are we training? Why now?" Zed responded "Vali, I cannot protect you all the time. The locals would gladly capture you if they knew you existed and use you to get to me. I know I cannot stop you from going to the villages. If someone ever found out who you were, I need you to be strong enough to defend yourself. Also, you're going to have to lead this order one day, I need you to be stronger than me, and let my legacy prosper." Vali nodded at this, and left his father. He put on some new clothes, and began walking to Amor.

He entered this time without being questioned by a guard. He walked back to the small, open square in hopes of finding the girl. Sadly, he did not see her. He sat on a bench and pondered to himself 'What am I doing here? If one of these people find out who I am, I'll surely be killed, or worse.' He looked up at the people crossing in front of him, when suddenly a familiar person sat down next to him. "Mind if I sit here?" said Sekuna, the girl he had been thinking about over the past weeks. "Of course not." Vali spoke as he looked up and smiled. "I didn't think you'd remember me, it's been awhile." Sekuna looked at him in the eyes and responded "Of course I remember you! How could I forget someone as handsome as yourself." She blushed as she said this. "Would you care to eat some lunch? I'm not from around here, so I'll need you to pick a place." Vali said. "That sounds great. I'd love to get to know you a little better." Sekuna said confidently as the two walked off. Vali felt truly happy in these moments, something he never had achieved before. It was as if his life would actually end up with a happy ending for a change. But following his father's footsteps, nothing good could stay, and he would soon learn that the hard way.

**EDIT: Hey guys! I'd really like to thank you for reading this chapter. I know it took me a while to get it out but it's about twice as long as a normal chapter so :P. You can probably expect the next chapter by Tuesday or maybe even tomorrow if I have time. Also, I tried to point out some things I had previously not explained well enough i.e Zed's ability to travel large distances with his shadows. Leave a review if you like because I read every single one and they really do make my day better. Anyway thanks again for reading and have a wonderful day!**


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Provoked

Sekuna and Vali walked along the crowded streets as they decided upon a place to eat.

"How about there?" She said pointing to a large building.

"Looks fine to me." Vali responded. They entered the building named "The Town Tavern" and found a place to sit. A waiter came over and asked what they wanted. Vali ordered seasoned noodles and Sekuna ordered a cup of rice. They enjoyed small talk for a while until Sekuna finally asked a personal question.

"So, Vali, where do you live? She asked. Vali suddenly got nervous. He knew this was coming. Did he lie to her and make up some random backstory or did he tell her that he was the son of the most ruthless, bloodthirsty man in Ionia. He quickly decided.

"My parents are farmers from the south. They sent me up here to get our monthly revenue from our store." He said nervously.

"Hmmm, interesting" She murmured, "would you care to explain how you disappeared in a mass of darkness in front of me a few weeks ago? Don't think I forgot!"

"That was my father. His father was a powerful mage and taught him how to teleport long distances. He noticed I was overstaying my welcome and brought me back home." Vali said, hoping she would believe his lies. She nodded as he let out a very small sigh of relief. Right then their food arrived. They both ate somewhat quickly and left the restaurant.

Vali decided to walk her home. She, of course, happily obliged. Vali just then remembered she had been the one asking all the questions while eating. It was his turn.

"So, what do your parents do?" He asked. Her mood changed as she looked at the ground.

"My parents? You wouldn't believe me if I told you." She responded.

"Try me." Vali said.

"My parents are very famous, they are known as The Eye of Twilight and The Fist of Shadow. Their proper names are Shen and Akali." She told him. Vali's jaw practically dropped open. He could not believe his ears. He thought 'Just my luck. I finally found a perfect girl who I would gladly marry and she happens to be the daughter of my father's most hated enemies.' Vali had grown silent which worried Sekuna. Just as she was about to speak up a group of 5 men gathered around them.

"How are you lovebirds doing?" said a man who had blondish hair. He appeared to be about twenty and looked like the leader of the group. The rest seemed about eighteen or nineteen. He pushed Vali on the ground while two of the men grabbed Sekuna by her arms.

"Hey! What's the big idea?" Sekuna asked while struggling against the men. But Vali already knew who these people were. They wore baggy pants and torn shirts. These were not officials to arrest him. These were thugs looking to mug him. There was no one around and it seemed like the perfect place to enact a crime. Vali stood up from the ground and looked the leader in the eyes and smiled.

"Five versus one? I like those odds." He said, gesturing them with his hand.

While all this was happening, a man with short brown hair with traces of gray stood atop a roof. He was in his mid-forties, with a good build, and a sword at his side.

"Akali, come and watch this." He said to his wife. She soon came up to the roof to watch what was unfolding. The men took their daughter and tied her wrist and ankles together rendering her immobile. They soon grouped around the boy, who could be no more than fourteen or fifteen, and prepared to fight him.

"Does that boy remind you of someone?" Shen asked.

"As a matter of fact, he does. But that's impossible, look at his eyes." Akali said.

Vali sized up the five men grouped around him. They seemed strong, but looked like they had little technique. He had been training hard for weeks now, and his body was very strong. He was ready. The leader brought his leg up to deliver a blow to Vali's chest, but he quickly responded by grabbing the leg and throwing the whole man over his should and directly into the man behind him. The three remaining men attempted to punch and kick him, but he blocked every attack. He soon found himself unable to do anything offensive, and the other two men were getting up. He couldn't possibly fend off five at once. He thought back to something Zed told him a few days ago.

"If you're outnumbered, then fight to your advantage. Split the opponents up, and take them down one by one."

With this in mind, and the other two men joining the fight, he leapt over the man closest to him. He landed on the side of the gang, and started sprinting in the other direction. They chased, but that was what he wanted. He slowed down slightly to let one of the smaller gang members catch up. He turned around, grasped the man's wrist with both hands, and twisted to the left until it made a sickening cracking sound. He fell to his knees while the four men behind him stood still in shock. He cocked his arm back, remembering the technique his father had shown him. He launched his arm forward and struck the man straight in the forehead. He fell from his knees and landed face first on the ground. A small puddle of blood formed around his head. The other men, now slightly afraid, did not back down as they charged him again. He ran towards them this time and left his feet to kick the nearest thug in the chest. He flew back and hit the wall hard. The three remaining did not hesitate. They jumped on him and began pummeling him. He took several hits to the face and stomach. He had managed to knock two of them out, but the remaining thugs started to wear him down.

*Meanwhile on the roof*

"This boy fights with vigor and intensity, but I simply cannot see him winning this." Akali said flatly. Shen nodded in agreement as the boy was getting kicked on the ground by three men. Two of the men brought Vali up to his feet and slammed him against a wall. They held him in place while the leader walked up to him sinisterly. He pulled out a large knife.

"I intend to gut you, and hang you on my wall." He told Vali. He pulled his arm back and began driving it forward. Vali closed his eyes waiting for the end, but after five seconds nothing happened. He opened his eyes to see nothing moving. The knife was about three inches away from his chest, but frozen. He walked around the man and now stood behind him. He willed for time to resume and it did. The leader stabbed air with the knife and the two men were holding nothing. Vali appeared behind them. Shen and Akali's eyes widened at what they saw. One moment, the boy was in the gang's grasp, the next he was behind them. They knew exactly what was happening. They looked at each other and nodded. Then they began to climb down to the street.

Vali wasted no time. His enemies were shocked and he looked to press his advantage. He punched the leader in the back of the head and knocked him into the wall. He then began pummeling the other men. He had no idea where he had this newfound power, or what he had just down, but he did not care. He could feel his new strength flowing through his veins. He uppercut one of the men in the jaw knocking him out cold. The other stood no chance as Vali delivered constant hits to the face. He crumbled in pain and lay still on the ground. Vali walked up to the still dazed leader and grabbed him by the throat, lifting him into the air. He looked at the terrified man in the eyes. He said nothing as he broke the man's neck with one flick of the wrist. He dropped the lifeless corpse against the ground. He felt somewhat bad about killing someone, but in another way it felt good. He knew now he had it in him to do it, and he could lead Zed's army one day. Just as he was about to walk over to Sekuna and untie her, a dagger zipped past his head and landed in a wall.

He looked in the direction it was thrown and saw a man in simple clothes and a woman in a traditional dress running towards him. The man wielded one long sward, while the woman wielded a small blade in her hand. He assumed her empty hand had held the dagger that was just thrown at him. He was confused as the two leapt at him and began striking. He dodged their attacks and jumped back.

"Who are you and what's your problem!?" Vali shouted.

"I am Shen, and this is Akali. We have come to protect our daughter from the likes of you." Shen said plainly.

"Hello? Excuse me but where the hell have you been? I just saved her. You should be thanking me." Vali responded in a pissed off manner.

"We know what you are. You're a follower of Zed. We could tell from the start you were similar, but once you shadow stepped we knew it was true." Akali answered in a condescending way.

'So that's what I did' Vali thought 'I wonder if I can do it again'. He concentrated but nothing happened.

"Now, you die." Shen said calmly. They both jumped at Vali and began swinging their blades at insane speeds. It took every ounce of his concentration to dodge these attacks, and he was scraped slightly a few times. Shen saw and opening and kicked him in the chest, knocking him onto the ground. He walked over to him and raised his sword. 'Is this it? Am I going to die here?' Just as Vali thought these things a mass of shadows engulfed the area.

"Hello old friend." An unseen but familiar voice said. Shen's eyes opened a little wider.

"Hello Zed." Shen said quietly.

**EDIT: Hey guys! Thanks for reading chapter 4! Leave a review if you like. I am curious as to see what you thought about the fight scene. I feel like it was shaky so please give me a suggestion to help me improve. Sorry for the two day wait but you got a decently long chapter (by my standards at least). If you have any questions about the story pm me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Have a great day!**


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Assembly

Vali looked up from the ground to see a mass of shadows slide aside to reveal Zed towering above him. He was dressed in his traditional armor with red cloth hanging out. Shen and Akali were still in utter shock. Zed helped his son to his feet.

"My son, watch this." he whispered to Vali. With insane speed Zed blinked behind Shen and Akali and swung both his arm blades at them. They were quick to react and blocked both of his attacks. But Zed went on the aggressive and began striking viciously at his opponents. Every swing harder than the last. Vali watched with amazement. He had seen his father fight before. Hell he had seen the whole shadow order fight before, but never had he seen someone fight with such force. Zed's eyes were blazing red with anger, but he had an uncanny ability to keep the rest of his body completely emotionless. He rarely showed emotion, and even when he fought with the two people he hated most in the world, he kept cool. He dodged every attack they threw at him by jumping around with his shadows. He pulled a large shuriken off his back and gripped it in his hand. He launched it at Shen who jumped to the side to evade it. But as he did this Zed teleported right next to him and pushed his blade against Shen's throat. Shen froze. The Ionian Guard grouped around them and began yelling. He dulled out their voices and stared at Shen.

"I despise you and Akali more than anything, but my son is more important to me, so I will allow you to live. This time." He said quietly to Shen in such a low voice that only the two ninjas could hear. With that, he grabbed Vali and shadow stepped back to his room in the temple.

Zed pulled off his helmet to reveal his messy hair and sweaty face. Vali simply stared at him in disbelief. He could not fathom what just happened.

"Th-thank you father." He blurted out.

"I should be thanking you really" Zed answered. "It appears you have inherited some of my power with shadows."

"What do you mean?" Vali asked inquisitively.

"Well, most of my shadow warriors require a long time of special training to learn shadow techniques, and even then they know only the most basic skills. You may not know how or what you did, but under my guidance I'm sure I can turn you into a great shadow warrior." Zed said. "Since you are my biological son you most likely inherited this power genetically so we can skip a lot the basic crap."

"When do we start?" Vali asked eagerly.

"Tomorrow." Zed said flatly. He left Vali's room and disappeared into the temple. Vali fell into his bed and cleared his head. He went through the events of the day one at a time. He had fought off a gang of thugs, and even killed one. He managed to survive Shen and Akali somehow, but did suffer a few cuts on his body. He had watched his father fight like he had never seen before, then mysteriously stop and return to the temple with him. He still felt a deep attraction to Sekuna, even though she was the child of Shen and Akali. And to top it off tomorrow he would begin his final segment in training. Shadow training.

The night was restless for him. He managed to drag himself out of bed and to his father's room where he found him waiting.

"You're ready I see. Let us begin." Zed said as he grabbed Vali and teleported to a familiar place. It was the former training grounds.

"Now son, you are about to embrace what we stand for. What we live for. This is our creed. Before we start give me your right hand. Vali obeyed and held his right harm out while keeping an open palm. Zed took it and extended his arm blade. He cut a small symbol into Vali's hand. When he finished Vali observed his palm. He grimaced in pain as he saw a circle with one line running diagonally through it was carved into his palm.

"That is the mark of shadow." Zed told him while removing his arm blade and glove to reveal that he had the same scar on his right palm as well. "Now it is time for you to be enlightened."

They spent hours that day attempting to find Vali's power. At first they made little progress, but day after day Vail felt his inner shadow growing stronger. After one week Vali could successfully cast a shadow. After two weeks he learned to teleport to it. After three weeks straight of intense training, Zed deemed Vali deserved an off day. He decided to head down to Amor at about five in the afternoon. He was very cautious and wore a hood. Instead of walking through the entrance he summoned a shadow on the other side and merely teleported to it. Nobody seemed to notice his entrance. He began walking through town keeping his head low. He came upon the house of Shen and Akali. He knew how risky this was but he had to see her. He walked up to a window on the side of the house and peered inside. He saw the three of them, Shen, Akali, and Sekuna, eating dinner together. He frowned. Why couldn't he have a family like this? He rarely saw his father aside from his training and his mother was always busy cooking and cleaning to spend time with him. He was always alone. He walked away and wandered off to another part of town. After about fifteen minutes or so he came upon a small abandoned house and went inside. He found an old hammock in the house and rested on it. He dozed off for a few hours. When he awoke it was about nine o' clock. 'Shit. I better go home before father gets pissed.' He thought. He passed by Sekuna's house one last time but saw no one inside. He was interested and climbed onto the roof to look around the area. He saw the outline of a figure sitting on the edge of a dock behind the house. He jumped down from the roof and walked up silently behind this person. He was about five feet away when the figure said.

"Are you going to sit down or what?"  
Vali sat down quietly to the figure that he now knew was Sekuna. She had both of her feet dipped in the water below.

"Why are you here?" she asked.

"Being honest, I can't stop thinking about you. I know our parents don't have a good history together, but I assure you I am not ruthless and bloodthirsty like my father. I care for a lot of the people in my life, especially you Sekuna." Vali said sincerely while looking at the water. She said nothing for a while and he grew worried. Just as he was about to ask her something he felt something warm gripping his lips. He looked up only to see that Sekuna had grabbed his head and forced a kiss upon him. He was shocked at first but let it continue. After about a minute or so he embraced it and they shared a deep, loving kiss. Soon they were out of breath and had to stop.

"That was… unexpected." Vali wheezed. Sekuna giggled a little bit.

"I believe what you said, about not being a murderer. After all you did save my life." She said, "Now you may want to get home. It's getting late. I hope to see you soon, Vali.

"Rest assured I will be back soon." He said. With that he got up and left. He could have just teleported back home but he wanted to walk. After about thirty minutes he came upon the gate to the temple. When he was in view of it he stood still from shock. Fire engulfed the temple and all of the buildings were set ablaze. He ran forward without hesitation thinking 'What have I done!'

**EDIT: HEYYYYY GUYS! Thanks for reading as always. Leave a review if you please. You can expect the next chapter by Sunday night. Have a good day!**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Destroyed, but Not Defeated

Vali ran through the gate and into the temple that was drowned in fire. He saw dead shadow warriors and Ionian Guards littered across the ground. The walls were ablaze and there was no sign of life. At this point, Vali was yelling for his father and mother. He ran into the main assembly hall where he saw something that horrified him. In the middle of the hall was his mother, Azabel, surrounded by ten or so dead shadow warriors. His mother had a sword sticking out of her midsection.

"NO!" Vali screamed and ran to her side. He kneeled next to her and held her lifeless face in his hands.

"She is gone, and soon you will be too." said a monotone voice from behind. Vali reared his head to see Shen and Akali standing behind him.

"We have the remainder of your shadow warriors and your father in captivity. Zed's order is gone. After I finish here I'll be personally administrating the public execution of your father."

"You…you… I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!" Vali screeched. He turned from his dead mother and ran towards the two ninjas. He brought his arm back and began swinging it forward when he felt a sharp pain in his back and chest. He turned his head and saw Sekuna standing behind him. She had a sword in hand. The blade had stabbed into his upper back and exited though his chest. She pulled the sword out of him. His breath was short and ragged. He could feel blood dripping down his back and chest. He fell to his knees and looked up at Sekuna.

"Sekuna… why?" Vali whispered feintly. He was cold all of sudden. His vision was blurred. He felt pain shooting through his chest. He finally surrendered and fell to the ground. All he could see was Sekuna's feet and his mother's lifeless corpse. He felt a tear streaming down his cheek as everything went black.

Shen, Akali, and Sekuna walked down the path leading to Amor. Behind them was the smoldering temple.

"Father, mother, why did we have to kill him? He never did anything wrong. He even saved my life once." Sekuna asked.

"Child, Zed was once the same as him. Loving, caring, and compassionate. After he lost his heart he turned into a ruthless killer with no conscience. Vali was bound to do the same if we killed both of his parents. I know you two had feelings for each other, but you have shown us you can live up to our family name and can be a strong member in the Kinkou. For that, I am proud." Akali said reassuringly. Sekuna nodded and looked at the ground sadly. Her long black hair was blowing in the wind and her brown eyes watered up. She quickly blinked away the tears and continued walking. They got back to Amor and congratulated the remaining Ionian Guards for their successful siege on Zed's temple. The three of them headed to the prison cells where the shadow warriors were being held. Their cells were covered with special runes that blocked all powers and abilities so none could shadow step out. They came upon the last cell. It had five guards outside of the bars. In the middle sat a man with no armor and mask. He had his eyes closed and his legs crossed. He opened his red eyes and glared at three people standing in front of his cells.

"Well Zed. I have good news and bad news. The bad news is that we killed your son. The good news is by tomorrow you will be dead and not have to worry about it anymore." Shen declared. Zed stood up and walked up to the bars. His face mere inches from Shen's.  
"You killed my wife. You killed my warriors. But my son had done no wrong to you." Zed said calmly. The emotionless expression on his face changed into one of hatred, pain, and agony.

"YOU TALK OF BALANCE AND ORDER? YOU PREACH JUSTICE? YOU KILLED AN INNOCENT BOY. YOU ARE FULL OF LIES. YOUR ORDER IS FULL OF LIES. I WILL RIP YOUR HEART OUT OF YOUR CHEST AND HANG IT ON MY WALL. I WILL TEAR YOUR WIFE'S LIMBS APART. I WILL CUT YOUR DAUGHTER'S HEAD OFF. I WILL AVENGE MY SON." Zed yelled. His voice was a mixture of screaming and crying. The three left his cell to the sounds of him howling. He screamed and cried the whole night. His warriors sat in the cells next to him in silence. Never before had they seen him display this much emotion. Not even when his wife died in front of his eyes did he do this. His cries echoed throughout the whole prison.

Vali felt nothing. Everything around him was black. He was in his subconscious mind.

'What the hell happened' he thought. 'Am I dead? Is this death? If it is then it's somewhat disappointing. No, I can't die here. Not like this. If I die then my father will be killed and everything he has worked for over the last twenty years will be destroyed.' He willed himself to open his eyes. As he did, he could feel a warm liquid around his body. He turned his head and saw a large pool of his own blood under him. His body was weak. She had stabbed him in his left lung. He could barely breathe. He soon realized a more immediate threat. He had probably been on the ground for two hours. The fire had spread to the floor and now circled around him. If he didn't move soon he would burn to death. It took every ounce of his strength to stand up. There was no path to walk out. He was trapped in a room of fire. He looked up and saw that the roof was burning and would soon collapse. He didn't have a choice and ran through the fire to the nearest exit. The fire lashed at him and he could feel burns all over his body. He made it to the window and dove into it, breaking the glass. He landed on the ground outside of the building. Just in time, as the entire building's roof caved in and destroyed everything. The entire temple lay in ruin. Vali felt searing pain all over his body, but he couldn't stop now. He had come too far. He concentrated and tried to shadow step somewhere, but he was too weak. He hobbled through the gate and headed off into the forest. He came upon his resting spot, the natural spring he had found so long ago in training. He felt blood still slowly dripping down his chest. He fell face first into the pool of water and sunk to the bottom. It felt amazing. The water seemed to sooth his burns, and even dulled the pain of his wound. He stayed there for about a minute or so, and then came up for air. When his head exited the water he saw two figures standing before him. It appeared to be a man and a woman who wore hooded cloaks and sandals. They both removed their hoods simultaneously and looked down at Vali. He recognized both of them. It was Katarina and Talon. Vali found himself genuinely confused.

"What the fuck are you two doing here?" he angrily said to them.

"Know your place child, or I-" Talon said as he raised his blade but Katarina's arm slid in front of him.

"Show some understanding Talon. He has had quite a rough day." Katarina professed.

"Ah, you are correct. Vali I know you must be full of rage but I need you to listen to me. Zed had a secret alliance with us Noxians. We were planning to strike Ionia together, but never got the chance as the Ionian Guard took initiative and attacked your temple directly. We need your father and his order to survive so we can destroy this place. We can't reveal that we are going to attack Ionia yet, so us helping to save him is out of the question. But you can. We've brought you this." Talon said as he showed Vali a small vile of green liquid in his hand. "Drink this and your wounds will heal. The power to defeat Shen, Akali, and the Ionian Guard, you will have to find in yourself. We believe you can. Your father's execution will occur in the middle of the town in front of the city's court house at noon. One more thing, Zed had us craft you your own special weapons. We had been working on these for about a month, and they are finally ready." Talon pulled out two medium sized, black swords. Vali grabbed the rocks surrounding the spring and pulled himself out. He stood eye to eye with Talon and took the blades into his own hands. They were light, but he liked that. He could be very fast with these. They were about two feet long, and as sharp as he'd ever seen any blade. Talon took out a small piece of paper and handed it to Vali.

"He left us this note to give you when we delivered the weapons. We will be going now. I wish the best of luck in your battle, and may the blades be on your side." Talon said as he and Katarina walked away. Vali looked at the note which read:

_Dear Vali,_

_You are my only son, my only child. I do not see you often, and I know I'm not a great father, but I l love you more than anything in the world. You are rightfully the heir to my throne. Let these blades direct you in the worst times. You will be the greatest warrior of all time. Greater than me. Never forget these words, son. You are stronger than anyone could fathom and you must believe in yourself. _

_ -Father_

Vali's lips trembled as he read this. He fell to his knees and began sobbing. He looked at the ground and saw the small vile Talon had left for him. He grabbed it and washed it down. It tasted sour. He became drowsy and fell asleep. He woke up three hours at about five in the morning. He looked at his chest and was amazed to see only a small scar remained. His burns were gone. He was himself again. Grabbing his swords, he began practicing. He had been skilled with blades at a very young age. It was never taught to him he just inherited it. When he finished, the trees were cut in half and the ground was torn up around him. He walked back to the remainder of the temple and stood on the outside of the ruins. It was a terrible sight. Bodies were burned to a crisp and the building itself was burnt wood and ashes. Vali's shirt was torn up from the fight yesterday with Sekuna, so he ripped it off. His muscular body showed. He had grown much stronger over his training and now was physically impressive. He wore black pants and black shoes. He took a moment to absorb what had happened over the last few days. He had been betrayed by the woman he loved. His mother was murdered. His father and the remainder of his army were in captivity. His temple had been burnt to the ground. And finally, the fate of all his people and his father rested on his shoulders. He smiled slightly. Though he was under a massive amount of stress, and was stricken with grief, he managed to enjoy the thought of avenging his mother when he drove his sword through the hearts of Shen, Akali, and Sekuna. With those thoughts in his mind, he began walking to Amor.

**EDIT: HEYYYY GUYS! Wow longest chapter I've written so far (2k+ words). Please leave a review if you want as this took me a VERY long time to write and edit and I'd love to know what you thought of the chapter. Sadly, our story is coming to a close. I'd say there's probably 3-4 chapters left. Anyway next chapter can be expected by Tuesday or Wednesday. Have a good day! Peace.**


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Retribution

A light fog rolled over the streets in Amor. The streets were empty and even the guards had left their positions at the gate. In the middle of the city, near the court house, a stage was set up with a high beam standing straight in the middle of it. The entire city had gathered in front of it, waiting eagerly. There were dozens of guards around the area. In the courthouse, where trials were normally administered, the city's governor and Shen talked among themselves.

"So you are telling me that when we kill Zed, the Shadow Order will be completely irradiated?" the governor asked intently.

"That is correct." Shen replied, "I would like the honor of performing the execution as well."

"If it is what you please, I will allow it." the governor told him. The governor went back to his office and Shen went to retrieve Akali and head to the prison where Zed was being kept. It was almost time.

Vali walked down the path heading to Amor. He looked around and embraced the scenery, thinking back to the first time he had ever gone down this path. That was when this whole mess started. He couldn't help but blame himself. Had he never gone down there, never gotten in that fight, Shen and Akali would've never found out Zed's order still existed. Perhaps they thought he had moved on, or some plague had killed us all. He solemnly looked down at his feet and realized that he was only partially responsible for this. There were three other people that were just as responsible as him. He gritted his teeth and continued to Amor, only about five minutes away now.

Zed lay still in his cell, staring up at the ceiling. He felt empty, like he never wanted to exist in this cursed world. Shen and Akali walked up to the bars and opened the door. Zed immediately got up and threw a heavy punch at Shen, but with no armor and being very malnourished from the days in captivity, the punch never connected. Shen countered it and hit him square in the chest hard. Zed fell to his knees. Akali walked behind him and put a bracelet on each of his wrists. These bracelets contained the runes that blocked all powers, rendering Zed unable to shadow step away. They drug him towards the center of town. They tied both of his hands above his back and attached him to the long post on the stage. The crowd was getting uneasy now. They chanted, _Kill the murderer! Kill the murderer! _Shen and Akali both were dressed in their traditional Kinkou clothing. Shen wore his blue armor with his daggers in hand, and Akali wore her green and revealing outfit with her Kamas by her sides. On the balcony of the courthouse, sat the governor and Sekuna, as per Shen's request. Shen walked up to the front of the stage while Akali stood by Zed.

"People of Amor! For too long has this tyrant terrorized our people! Today, we bring justice into the world that he had previously turned corrupt!" Shen announced proudly, with the crowd cheering more and more every second. Zed sat through the whole ordeal silently. His armor and mask were off and he felt naked. He had lost everything…again. He finally had given up on life. He looked forward to the execution.

Vali approached the large gate to the city with extreme caution. Surprisingly, no guards were in view. He walked through the gate, confused. Then it struck him. They were all by the courthouse waiting for Zed's death. Vali turned his cautious walk into a run. He soon came upon the middle of town and saw the entire thing. The stage, the people, Shen and Akali, Zed, and even Sekuna sitting on the balcony of the courthouse. He immediately was filled with anger. He saw two guards about fifteen feet away facing the stage. He assumed they were supposed to be watching for intruders, but they were too distracted with the soon occurring execution. Vali crept up behind them, swords in hand. That was when it all began.

He slashed at the necks of the guards cutting them down instantly. They fell to their knees, making gross gurgling sounds. They both slammed into the ground and fell silent. No one had seen this happen, though. They were by one of the alleys where no one would be looking. Vali decided it was time to make an entrance. Stealth was not an option, as Zed would be killed any moment now. He had to create a distraction for Shen and Akali to fight him. He sprinted towards with his hands wrapped tightly around his swords. A few guards saw him and began yelling. The crowd turned and many of them gasped. Shen and Akali sat wide eyed.

"Impossible." Shen muttered. Zed eyes lit up. He did not know how, but his son was alive. For that he was grateful

Guards began charging Vali in groups. He sliced them down. They stood no chance. He was too quick, too fast, and too skilled with shadows. When the crowd saw the guards being slaughtered, they started to panic. They ran out of the square. After a few moments, the only people left were a handful of guards, Vali, Zed, and the three ninjas that had started this. Vali could see himself getting closer to Zed. He could not stop now. He would not stop now. He was so close. He finished off the last few guards with extreme prejudice before he heard a moan of pain coming from the stage. Vali looked up and saw that Shen had thrust his blade into Zed's heart. He began turning it and pushing it forward. Zed gritted his teeth and let out a scream of agony. His head fell down, and Shen removed the sword. Vali took three large bounds and jumped onto the stage. He punched Shen with such a force that it knocked him clear off the platform. Akali attempted to cut him in half with her Kamas, but he dodged it and kicked her onto the street below. He ran up to Zed and dropped his swords at his feet.

"Wake up! Wake up dad! Don't leave me now! Not when I need you most!" Vali wept with his head pressed against Zed's lifeless chest. Sekuna had watched the whole thing unfold and jumped down to her mother and father's side. The three ninjas looked at the dark haired boy weep at his father's side. Vali stood up looking down at his father. He had already been stricken with grief when he lost his mother, but this, this was different. Not only did he lose his father, he knew he had failed everyone. His father's Shadow Warriors were depending on him. Noxus was depending on him. It was his entire fault. Every good memory he had in his head was erased at that moment. The only thing that flooded his thoughts were those of pain, anger, and betrayal. He stood there for several seconds. His anger steadily grew, and he clenched his fist. His face felt like it was on fire. His eyes hurt. Something inhuman entered his body. He welcomed the odd force and allowed it to take over. He turned to face the three responsible for this.

The three ninjas gasped at what they saw. Vali was not Vali anymore. A dark mist was steaming from his head. His veins turned black. And most of all, his eyes, his cool light blue eyes, were deep red. More red and menacing than his father's. He had been changed.

"Vali, listen to me." Sekuna pleaded, "It does not have to end like this. We don't have to kill you. We don't want to. Just calm down and take a de-"

"Dare you speak to me?!" Vali screeched, "You have taken EVERYTHING from me! You have killed my family! You have betrayed my trust and led me into foolishly believing you felt the same for me as I did for you! I WILL kill you! I WILL do what my father never could!"

With that, Vali picked his swords up off the ground, and leapt at the three. Shen and Akali pushed Sekuna back and blocked Vali's initial attacks. He continued with insane speed. Each blow he delivered sent sparks flying in all directions. Not only was he fighting two of the strongest warriors at once, he was winning. He continued to attack and attack. He swung with such force that even Shen could not counter the blows. He had the both of them pressed against a wall. All three breathed heavily. Vali had sweat trickling down his face and body. His muscles flexed as he swung his weapons, showing off his impressive stature. Akali landed a lucky blow with her Kama to the sword in his left hand and knocked it free. Shen did the same to the sword in his right hand. He was unarmed, but brought up his fists, taking the stance of a boxer. Shen and Akali raised an inquisitive eyebrow and shrugged.

The two of them struck at him, but he was still too fast and full of pure rage to be stopped. He dodged both of their attacks and punched Akali straight in the stomach, knocking the wind out of her. She fell to the ground and began gasping for air. Vali turned to Shen and began striking viciously at his chest. He landed a good blow to the side of the head, which made Shen rear back. Sekuna had seen enough, she ran up behind Vali and punched him in the back of the head with such a force that he flew ten feet and crashed through a wall. Akali got up and the three ninjas stared into the wide opening. Vali brought a hand up and began pulling himself up. That punch would have killed any normal man. Then again Vali was no normal man. About halfway off the ground, the three saw Vali's face. It was covered in blood and sweat, and had a crooked smile on it. He was laughing.

"What a nice punch, dear. However, I don't think anyone could stop me right now! I am unbeatable!" Vali exclaimed.

"I think it's in our best interest to leave and fall back to the temple where the Kinkou reside. This boy seems overwhelmed with some new strange power." Shen told the two women he was standing with. Akali nodded, and the three ninjas headed off. Vali wasn't standing fully when they left, and he knew chasing would be to no avail.

He examined the scene in front of him. There were dead guards everywhere, and Zed was still hanging dead from the post. He saw the governor still watching from the balcony, eyes wide in shock. Vali cocked a half grin. He shadow stepped to the balcony, grabbed the governor, and shadow stepped down. He drug him to the prison where the Shadow Warriors were being kept. Upon freeing all of them, he threw the governor in one of the cells.

"Come warriors. There is something you must see." Vali told the men. They followed him to the place of Zed's execution. Most of them stared wide eyed in shock and disbelief. Vali walked onto the stage in front of the fifty or so warriors.

"Listen to my words, warriors. As you all know, I am Zed's son." Vali told the men, "I am the rightful heir to the throne. I realize that some of you might be skeptical of a fifteen year old leading you, but put your trust in me and we will not fail. If any of you choose to leave and distance yourself from this sacred order, do so now." To his surprise, none of the men left.

One of the warriors walked closer to Vali.

"You are the rightful leader. We will follow you to death." As he said this he put his right arm over his chest and his left arm behind his back. He dropped his right knee to the ground and bowed his head at Vali. This was the sign of total devotion to a leader. It showed loyalty and integrity to a cause. The rest of the warriors behind him did the same.

"Very well." Vali said, "Our first order of business is to seek revenge on those who have slain my father and your master. We head to the temple of the Kinkou now." They grabbed weapons off the dead guards scattered around them and followed Vali towards the temple that lay high in the mountain overlooking the city. Vali closed his eyes and thought, 'Soon. Soon I will right all the wrong that has been done to me.'

**EDIT: Hey fellas. I know I released a chapter yesterday and this may be too soon but I was sick today so I didn't go to school and had a lot of free time. I decided to pump out another 2k+ chapter! Woo! I realize some of you may not like that I killed Zed in this story, but that's always how it has played out in my head. I cannot see another way of showing the amount of anger Vali has towards these people other than by them taking everything he loved and tearing it apart. Anyway, leave a review if you want and let me know what you thought of the chapter. There will probably only be two more chapters after this so our story is close to finishing. Expect the next chapter by Thursday at the latest. Peace!**


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Endgame

Vali walked the long, winding path that led up the mountain and towards the temple of the Kinkou Order. Around fifty or sixty armed shadow warriors followed him. There was dead silence, except for the sounds of feet colliding with dirt. It was around seven o' clock by now and the sun was beginning to set. By the time they arrived it would be dark. Vali began pondering to himself. 'Can we really do this? I know we are motivated and stronger than the average Kinkou ninja, but there will be at least two hundred of them. Whatever happens, this whole conflict will be over tonight. Either I will kill Shen, Akali, and Sekuna, and the shadows will prevail, or the Kinkou will be too strong and they will slaughter us like lambs.'

Shen, Akali, and Sekuna navigated the forest, leaping tree to tree, scaling the mountain with haste. They had traveled this route many times and knew the quickest way up. While Vali and his men took the long path, they would use this shortcut to arrive earlier and warn the Order of the impending attack.

"This child thinks he can overthrow our entire order? Ha! I'd like to see him try." Shen said, grabbing a branch and swinging on it.

"Tread lightly Shen, he may not be Zed but the way he fought back there led me to believe he is the true offspring of the Master of Shadows." Akali murmured, jumping over a few large trunks and landing on top of a tall oak tree.

"This is true," Shen responded, "but we are strong. He caught us off guard back there. I must admit, though, is it not a refreshing feeling knowing that Zed has finally been put to rest?"

"That, it is." Akali answered.

Meanwhile Sekuna thought to herself, 'Have my parents grown heartless? They orphaned a boy who saved my life, and now all they can think about is killing his father? Pitiful, truly pitiful. However, as much pity as I feel for Vali, if he attempts to kill my parents I will not hesitate to drive my blade between his eyes.' Sekuna eyed up the weapon strapped to her left thigh. It was a short spear shaped blade, except it was double sided, making it very deadly. She named it Endriago, meaning dragon in a local language. She gripped it tightly, knowing of the battle that would occur tonight.

"Let this blade be my light in the darkest of times." She whispered so quietly that only she could hear.

The three Kinkou warriors arrived at the temple and warned their fellow ninjas. In less than thirty minutes every warrior in the premises was armed and ready for battle. The gate surrounding the temple was surrounded by a large wall made of stone. It would do little good, as the shadow warriors could simply step through it using their shadows. Regardless, they fortified it with about twenty soldiers and left the rest remaining inside the walls with Shen, Akali, and Sekuna. The fight was coming, and everyone knew it.

Vali and his men reached the end of the path. The tree line on both sides of them receded, leaving a large temple surrounded by walls in view. It was about nine o' clock and dusk had fallen. The walls were lit with torches. Vali and his men were nearly invisible in the shadows; however they could see the twenty guards standing in front of the gate.

"Hmph, child play." Vali whispered to his warriors.

Vali commanded his men to stay back and he shadow stepped behind the large group of guards, unnoticed. He pulled his two swords out of their scabbards, and began furiously cutting down the ninjas with insane speed. After about five had fallen, the rest noticed what was happening. They turned on him and began swinging their weapons, only to have him dash around them using his shadows. He weaved in and out of the group, bringing down more ninjas each time. The poor warriors didn't stand a chance.

The only thing that Shen, Akali, Sekuna, and the one hundred and fifty other warriors heard was the cries of their fellow ninjas as they were slaughtered.

"They have arrived." Shen announced, narrowing his eyes.

In the blink of an eye, Vali stood alone in the middle of the courtyard. His swords were still dripping with flesh blood, and he had murder in his eyes. The fifty other shadow warriors now stood atop the wall near the gate. They did not advance however.

"Hello friends." Vali said sinisterly, "It appears I have arrived to this party just in time. Before we get to chopping each other's armies in half, I'd like place a wager."

"What would that be?" Akali asked.

"I would like a duel with you, Shen, and Sekuna. Neither army can intervene. If you kill me fairly, my army will turn around, head home, and abandon the way of shadows." Vali told them.

"And if you win?" Shen asked.

"If I win, I will proceed on slaughtering all of the Kinkou and destroying this place." Vali responded. Shen and Akali whispered a few things among themselves. They proceeded to nod and answered.

"We accept your offer, on one condition. We will not allow Sekuna to take part in this fight. She must stay back and watch." Shen said. Sekuna opened her mouth to protest but Shen grabbed her shoulders and looked into her eyes. She nodded and stepped back.

"Great! It appears we have a deal!" Vali said excitedly, "Let us begin."

Shen and Akali drew their weapons and assumed defensive positions. Both armies watched from opposite sides of the courtyards. It was dead silent. Vali began circling the two ninjas. He decided that moment in his head that he would win no matter what. Too many people were depending on him. He could not let them down. No, for once, he would do this for himself. He would not let himself down. He would win because he wanted to.

With that, he lunged at the pair of ninjas, bringing both his swords down on them with spectacular strength. They blocked, but he persisted. He followed that with a barrage of slashes and swings that nearly chopped Akali and Shen in half several times. They had no time to be aggressive because of his speed. Each strike was harder to block, each swing harder to predict. He jumped around them using his shadows. They stood back to back while he swung viciously at them. All three ninjas were achieving a level of concentration that was thought impossible. One mistake and it would be fatal. Shen went on the aggressive, slashing at Vali. The strike connected with his side, making a large gash on his left hip. Akali took advantage of this and drove one of her Kamas through his right shoulder. She tried to decapitate him with her one remaining Kama, but he blocked it. She took her now weaponless right hand and punched him in the stomach a few times. She followed that up with a huge punch to the jaw, knocking him on his back. He shadow stepped a few feet away from the two, trying to gain time to recover, but never got it. Shen and Akali swung at him repeatedly. He blocked the majority of attacks, but took a few scratches from them. Shen stabbed him in the left thigh and he let out a cry of pain. He dropped to his knees as he saw the eye of twilight cock his arm back and deliver a punch to his face.

He fell to the ground, exhausted and in pain. Shen and Akali both towered over him.  
"It was a good battle, but it appears it is over. I honestly expected more from you." Shen gloated.

Vali could feel his wounds crying from pain. He tasted blood in his mouth. Then, an odd voice spoke to him.

"Vali, you must not give it up now. You have the strength in you. You must find it." The odd voice told him.

"Who are you?" he thought.

"I am not important right now. All you need to know is that you have to win this fight. No matter what. You must win. Maybe this will motivate you." The voice told him. Suddenly a flash of images ran through his head. They were memories. Good ones. Memories of his father, his mother, Sekuna. Then the images of his parents being killed. He felt something awaken inside himself. Something dark and twisted. He found a new power growing rapidly. He began lifting himself up.

"WEAK!" he spat, "I AM WEAK!" He quickly pushed himself up and stepped away from his two enemies, faster than they could react.

"YOU!" he screeched, his words drenched in venom, as he pointed at Shen and Akali,"YOU HAVE DONE THIS TO ME! YOU TOOK EVERYTHING DEAR TO ME, EVERYTHING I EVER LOVED. I WILL DO THE SAME." Vali tore the Kama still stuck in his shoulder out and threw it on the ground. His pain retreated. His fear disappeared. He felt nothing but anger and hatred. He was ready to kill them now. He brought his swords up and leapt at the two ninjas. Now, his strikes were even stronger and faster. He was fighting on an inhuman level. For all he knew he was now inhuman.

Shen and Akali found themselves losing, and fast. Where this boy's new power had come from, they did not know. Vali struck Akali's one remaining Kama with such a force that it flung her back ten feet. He saw an opening and took it. Vali sprinted towards Shen and jumped, thrusting both of his feet in front of him. His kick connected with Shen's chest, and sent the Eye of Twilight crashing into the stone wall behind him. He took advantage of this, as he felt his new power consume him whole. His eyes now radiated red, redder than before. It was as if you were staring into a sea of blood. He combined himself with the shadows and began striking at Akali at speeds even he did not know he could reach. She did not have the protection of Shen, which allowed Vali to knock her last Kama out of her hand. Now weaponless, Vali took his chance. He began slashing at her from all directions, swapping with his shadows constantly so she could not react. He made five clean cuts across her body. She fell to her knees, with gaping holes in her midsection and back. Sekuna attempted to run, but a Kinkou warrior held her back. They would not allow her to break the code. Shen stood on his feet and looked at his wife. She was weaponless, badly injured, and on her knees. Vali stood behind her with one of his swords across her throat. Shen's eyes widened.

"So Shen, care to tell me how it feels? This is what you did to me! You made me feel so helpless! So insignificant!" he spat. "Now, it is time for some payback." A smile crept onto his lips as he slid the blade across Akali's throat, cutting it as he did so. Shen started sprinting but he was too far away to reach her in time. Vali let go of her and she fell to the ground, making disgusting gurgling noises.

Sekuna screamed. Well, it was more of a mixture of screaming and crying. Tears trailed down her face. Shen lifted his wife up and held her in his arms. She looked him in the eyes as she tried to say something but it came out as a bunch of gurgling sounds. He watched the lights fade from her eyes. Her now lifeless body lay limp in his hands. He set her on the ground, and closed her eyes with his hands. He glanced at his hands, noticing that they were now covered with his wife's blood. That was his tipping point. An inhuman screech erupted from his throat as grabbed his daggers and ran at Vali. Vali only smiled, knowing he had already won. He let Shen swing at him, but dodged all the attacks with ease. Shen overcommitted to one swing and left himself off balance. Vali shadow stepped behind him and thrust both of his swords into Shen's back. The swords connected, making a silent entry. Shen dropped his weapons and fell to his knees. He grasped his stomach and back, which had just been torn up by Vali's blades.

"Heheh. Pathetic." Vali condescended, "You let your anger get the best of you, and fought with no strategy or intelligence. For that, you have just ended the Order of the Kinkou. After I am done with you, I will proceed to kill your daughter and every ninja in this place." Vali dropped one of his swords to the ground, and now held his one remaining swords with both hands. He had no shirt on still. Sweat and blood covered every inch of his chest. His muscles flexed in fatigue, but he was almost done. Sekuna was screaming, but still being held by a ninja. She could not break free of his grip. Vali looked around at the two hundred warriors watching this fight. He announced to all of them.

"Let it be known, that on this day. I have taken back what is mine, and restored peace to my blackened heart. This is for all of warriors, my mother, but most of all, I do this in the name of my father!" he yelled. With that, he swung his sword with all his might at the kneeling Shen. The blade connected with his neck and went cleanly through. Shen's head rolled off his shoulders and fell to the ground along with his body. The shadow warriors yelled in excitement, while the Kinkou's ninjas sat silent in despair.

Sekuna broke free of the ninjas grip and sprinted towards Vali. 'One more' he thought, raising his sword up. She flung her spear at him, which he dodged with ease. She jumped at him, raising her fists. He hit her in the forehead with the blunt side of his sword, stunning her. He reared the sword back, but could not bring it forward. No matter what she had done to him, he still loved her. He turned the sword to its blunt side again and struck her in the side of the head so hard that it knocked her out. He turned to his fellow shadow warriors.

"Brothers! Today, we eliminate our most hated enemy! Charge!" he commanded. They charged yelling battle cries as Vali lead them towards the opposing ninjas. Although they were heavily outnumbered, they fought with vigor and anger. They killed all of the Kinkou ninjas while only suffering one or two casualties themselves. Vali went inside and brought out the newest master of the Kinkou and decapitated him in front of the shadow warriors. They took command of the Kinkou's temple and burned the dead bodies, including Shen and Akali's. Vali drug Sekuna to the prison cells inside the temple. He chained her up while she was still unconscious. He took a minute to admire her beautiful face, her long brown eyes, and her attractive body. He planted a kiss on her forehead before returning to his men. They celebrated the night away. Vali looked up into the stars and smiled. He knew his father was watching. And he knew how proud he must be. He shed a tear that slowly rolled down his cheek. He was injured, bleeding, and beaten up, but he had won. He had done the impossible. He had fought his enemies and emerged victorious.

**EDIT: AYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GUYS! WOW I can't believe our story is basically done, I'm sad. Anyway I'm happy to announce there WILL be one more chapter after this to wrap things up. Leave a review if you want please! This took me about 4 and a half hours to write and edit so a 15 second review doesn't seem so bad, eh? Anyway have a great day! Final chapter Sunday! P.S. Vali is a total badass. Am I right?**


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Conclusion

Vali sat in his room at the new Order of Shadow's temple. Two weeks had passed since the siege on the Kinkou. Instead of destroying the temple Vali deemed it more fit to seize it as their new one. The Kinkou had been destroyed and the majority of the Ionian Guard was gone. The surviving guards went into hiding or tried to live normal lives as citizens. With no one in their way, Ionia was at the mercy to the Order of Shadows. However, Vali didn't want to be a ruthless leader. Instead he let the people lead their own lives, on one condition. The ways of balance must never be practiced again. This was in an attempt to prevent the Kinkou from rising again. For the most part, the people of Ionia were happy. They had no problems with their new leaders.

Vali was meditating in the complete dark. It was at these times he felt truly at peace. Although his room was pitch black, he could see everything. His eyes had become accustomed to the shadows. He was welcomed by them. He traveled into his subconscious mind with questions.

"Who are you?" he asked, "I know you can hear me.

"Hello Vali," said a familiar voice. "Why do you request my presence?"

"You talked to me in my battle. You showed me the horrifying images of my parent's deaths." Vali said grimly, "You motivated me to win and gave me a strong power that I have yet to understand. I just want to know who or what you are."

"I am the truest form of a shadow." The voice told him, "The darkest of all shadows lies in your own mind. I am the shadow that hangs over every bad memory. I am the unending darkness that shrouds every second of pain you have endured. And I am with you, Vali. I will always be inside of you. I only have good intentions for you. As long as you are in The Order of Shadows I will always be on your side." Vali nodded at this. He understood what this thing was now. He had heard his father talk briefly about it before. He did not see it as a bad thing, so he ended his meditation and left his room.

In the hallways he saw many of his soldiers. Each one saluted him, and he saluted back. The warriors had a new found respect for Vali. After seeing what he did against two of the possibly strongest ninjas in the world, they knew the new leader of shadows was unimaginably strong. Vali walked to the large kitchen and dining room, where he and his warriors would eat their meals together, and saw that today's dish was fried rice and shrimp. He grabbed two bowls and headed back towards his room. He walked past his room and entered the room directly next to it. In this room, a young, beautiful woman sat in the bed.

"Good afternoon, Sekuna." Vali said. Sekuna simply stared up at him with hate in her eyes. After she came to consciousness when the battle was long over, she had not said a word to anyone. Vali even gave her a room next to his. There were no restraints, nor was her door locked. If she wanted to leave she could. For whatever reason, she chose to stay. Perhaps it was because she still felt attached to Vali. He placed one bowl of rice on the bed next to her, and sat on the floor. He began eating while she continued staring at him.

"Sekuna, you may never forgive me, but please understand, I only did what I did to avenge my family." Vali said sincerely.

She didn't respond. He saw this was going nowhere, so it was time for a new technique. Vali stood up quickly and pinned her wrists against the wall. Their bodies were a mere inches from each other. Sekuna could feel his warmth, and even though she struggled to break free, he was too strong. Vali opened his mouth and a dark mist flowed out. This mist forced itself into Sekuna's mouth and her eyes widened instantly. She felt something inside of her and began panicking.  
"HELP ME! HEEELP MEE-!" She yelled but was cut off as Vali planted a kiss on her lips. It was a gentle kiss. But then she accepted it and it soon deepened, like one that two lovers would give each other. When they broke, she felt different. Her whole body was trembling and she realized what Vali had done to her. He had instilled the shadows into her. She now had become the very thing she set out to destroy, but instead of hating it, she welcomed it. Her mind was cleared of anger and she thought reasonably. She knew that she had done to Vali what he had done to her. 'How selfish am I?' she thought, 'I took his parents first. I destroyed his heart and he still loved me after it. He could have killed me but he chose not to.'

"Vali, I.. I.. I'm so sorry." She said as tears began forming in her eyes. Vali smiled at her.

"Sekuna, we might have a bad past. But something my father always told me was that only a fool trips on something behind him. I love you, Sekuna." Vali said sincerely. She fell into his arms as they embraced in another kiss. And another. And another.

By the next morning, Sekuna had already begun moving her things into Vali's room. The Shadow Warriors were skeptical of their relationship at first, but after seeing that she had the shadows in her, they accepted it. Months passed as the new order thrived. When they had overtaken this new temple, they had only fifty warriors. Now, they had close to five hundred. Vali had asked Sekuna's hand in marriage, which she gladly accepted. The pieces in Vali's life had begun to come together, and things were looking good for a change. Now that he was the leader of one of the strongest groups in all of Runeterra, he was called to all ends of the earth for treaties, discussions, etc. While he was gone, he appointed the strongest of all his warriors, a man named Rieser, to temporarily lead the order in his absence. Sekuna would occasionally accompany him on these trips, but often did not. She was pregnant with a boy, which limited her ability to travel. This child would be the heir to the throne when Vali died. He knew this child would be even stronger than him.

Vali had a lot of time to think while traveling the world. No matter what the situation or obstacle he had to overcome, he thought back to one thing. It was the note that his father had written for him when the Noxians delivered him his weapons. In any time of sadness, despair, or in the face of overwhelming odds, he recited the note in his mind.

_Dear Vali- _

_You are my only son, my only child. I do not see you often, and I know I'm not a great father, but I l love you more than anything in the world. You are rightfully the heir to my throne. Let these blades direct you in the worst times. You will be the greatest warrior of all time. Greater than me. Never forget these words, son. You are stronger than anyone could fathom and you must believe in yourself. _

_-Father_

_With those thoughts in mind, anything was achievable for him._

_**AUTHOR'S NOTE: HEY GUYS! Our story has finally come to a close! As much as it saddens me to finish this, it also brings some joy to my heart. When I started writing this I honestly didn't expect to write more than 3 chapters because I thought no one would like reading my stuff. But you guys gave me suggestions, tips, and ideas which ultimately helped me become a better writer and gave me the confidence to continue writing this fanfic. I can't thank you enough. I just want to give a special shoutout to Skij Leonhart. This wonderful person has a left a review on every single chapter I've written since day one. I couldn't have done it without you :P! I suppose I'll answer some questions now. First off to get this clear I like ZedxAkali much much more than ShenxAkali, but in order for this story to go in the direction I wanted it to go I had to have them be together. As for Vali's ridiculous power in the final fight between him, Shen, and Akali, I wasn't trying to make Shen and Akali seem like they were terrible fighters, I just wanted to stress the fact that Vali had briefly turned into this superhuman fighter and was basically unstoppable. If you didn't like the ending to the story with Sekuna and Vali falling in love again, I'm sorry! I felt wrong about having an ending where they end up hating each other because I felt like that would leave a bitter taste in your mouth. Anyways if anyone wants to use Vali or anything from my story in their own fanfics feel free! Just leave me some credit ya know. I have had a wonderful time writing my first fanfiction, and I assure you, I'll be back soon with something new. Leave a review on what you thought about this chapter and the whole story and what you liked/disliked. Have a great day and I love you guys!**_

___**-Ronald del Reagan.**_


End file.
